World's Best Granola Recipe...

Today was the first day I have felt chilly! My lovely endless summer may be ending...:( I still refuse to turn on the furnace. I'm going to go into winter kicking and screaming. Okay, so what if I am wrapped up in a blanket? I'm not turning the furnace on yet!
I took a walk through the square foot garden today. The tomatoes lost their life last night. I had mixed emotions about that. Honestly...I am pretty tired of tomatoes! Still...it was hard to say good-bye and send them to their tomato grave. The Brussels sprouts are still thriving in the cool weather. We may get another cabbage if we are lucky. I picked the last hearty little green pepper and ate it for dinner. The newly planted spinach and lettuce are still doing well. I am keeping my fingers crossed...
Since there is a "chill" in the house I decided to combat it by turning on the oven. I wanted to make a batch of granola.
When I titled this, "World's Best Granola", I am totally serious...I've eaten a lot of granola in the world and this is definitely the best.
I don't think they invented granola until I was in my teens. (That may or may not be accurate)...
I DO remember when my Mom got on a "health food" kick and made this "granola" stuff for the first time. I have no idea where she got the recipe. It seemed to me a pretty radical idea...like maybe my Mom was turning into some kind of hippie or something. Especially when she bought some of the ingredients at a "health food" store.
Well...this recipe has survived the test of time. I love it every time I make it. It seems to be a "Fall" thing for me. I usually dig out the recipe about this time every year. Probably because the house needs warming up and I refuse to turn on the furnace.

I have made one change since my Mom brought home this recipe. Back in the day we used vegetable oil. I have now subbed that for coconut oil. Coconut oil works really well and I personally think it's a much better choice. I don't think they'd invented coconut oil back then...I'm serious.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Coconut oil and our amazing homegrown raw honey...the only "wet" ingredients.

Slowly warm the oil and honey until the honey is thin.

Stir the warmed liquid into the dry ingredients and spread out on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Have we talked about parchment paper? I <3 parchment paper! It is one of my favorite kitchen tools. I have a silpat and have to say, I much prefer the parchment!

A snapshot while in the oven. I thought that was a little "Alton Brown-ish".

I keep it in Mason jars in the cupboard. In all honesty...we eat it really fast! My favorite is plain, full fat Greek yogurt topped with this "World's Best Granola"...sometimes I drizzle a bit more of our award winning honey on it! ;)

World's Best Granola

4 cups uncooked organic rolled oats
1 cup raw wheat germ
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (Trader Joe's has one I really like that is toasted)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup honey (watch out for store bought honey...read the label...some are adding HFCS!)
2 cups of assorted fruit, nuts and seeds
Combine all dry ingredients. Mix oil and honey together in pan and warm until honey is thin. Stir well into dry mixture. (Stir a few times during baking and while cooling)
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes
Use any of the following: raisins, apples, apricots, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, pecans, cashews, dates, flax seed and anything else you might like

I used dried cranberries, raw pecans, raw cashews, black sesame seeds and golden flax seeds for this batch. Can't wait for breakfast in the morning!